Royal Enfield Classic 500 range gets ABS as standard in USA; India next

Royal Enfield has just started offering ABS as standard on the Classic range of retro-styled motorcycles sold in the United States. Dual-channel ABS is now standard on all US-spec Royal Enfield Classic 500 motorcycles. Notably, Royal Enfield sells only the 500-cc variants of the Classic in the US market whereas the Indian market also gets the 350-cc variants. The Classic 500 with ABS will soon make it to India as well considering the fact that all existing motorcycles with engine capacity over 125 cc need to have at least single-channel ABS as standard. This is a mandate from the Indian government that all two-wheeler makers need to follow.

While the Classic 500 sold in the US gets a dual-channel ABS as standard, it remains to be seen if the same unit will be offered in the Indian versions as well, or if Royal Enfield decides to cut costs, and offers only a single-channel ABS. While a single-channel ABS will still allow Royal Enfield to meet statutory requirements in India, it would always be better for riders to have access to dual-channel ABS on their motorcycles as it’s simply more effective. While dual-channel ABS acts on both front and rear brakes, preventing skidding even under hard braking, single-channel ABS acts only on the front wheel.

The Royal Enfield Classic 500 range of motorcycles come with multiple paint schemes. These motorcycles use a 499-cc, four-stroke single cylinder engine with 27.2 Bhp-41.3 Nm. This old-school, long-stroke engine is an air-cooled unit and uses an overhead valve head actuated by hydraulic lifters. Fuel injection is standard in the 499-cc engine. Royal Enfield also offers the Classic in India, with a smaller 346-cc engine. While the general specifications of the 346-cc engine are similar to the 499-cc motor, the smaller motor makes only 19.8 Bhp-28 Nm. Both engines get 5-speed manual gearboxes as standard.

Via PowerDrift